Down the Aisle
by burningbridges97
Summary: "I always hoped that Gibbs would give me away at my wedding. Especially now that my own father is gone. I love him like family, but… if he cannot accept that you are going to be my husband… I cannot let him hold me back, you know?" Tiva. Based off a prompt I received a year ago. For Kristen.


**I've sorta disappeared for a while. Whoops. Don't blame me.**

**I probably won't update my other stories... sorry. I haven't been writing for them and to be honest I don't know if I could.**

**Anyways, here's a Tiva one-shot in honor of Kristen's (parischangedher) birthday. Love you 3.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned this show would there be a hiatus? Nope.**

* * *

"It's gonna be weird not having our family at our wedding," Tony murmured to his bride-to-be. Both were sitting in the dining area of a four-star hotel in Bermuda, enjoying their breakfast. Ziva looked up at him.

"Well, that is what 'eloping' implies, does it not?" she said after swallowing a bite of her waffles.

"Yeah," Tony replied, his eyes glued to his plate. He didn't want to meet his fiancé's eyes, afraid that she would see the emotion there. "But I never expected that the team wouldn't be at my... our... wedding..."

Ziva took his left hand where it lay idle on the table, giving it an encouraging squeeze and making him raise his eyes to hers.

"I always pictured..." she began, drawing circles on his hand with her thumb, "that Gibbs would walk me down the aisle. That is what you were saying when it was... almost... Ray..."

Tony's jaw clenched at the name of her ex-almost-fiancée. She raised his hand to her lips momentarily and she saw him visibly relax.

"But," she continued, "we agreed to elope for specific reasons, yes? Before the Navy Yard blew up, we agreed that we did not want to go through with the fuss of a normal wedding. And we both know that Gibbs would not approve of this relationship," she added. Tony nodded slowly, humming in affirmation, and dropping her gaze once again.

"Yeah. Rule twelve, right," he muttered, a slightly bitter edge to his voice.

"I always hoped that Gibbs would give me away at my wedding. Especially now that my own father is gone. I love him like family, but… if he cannot accept that you are going to be my husband… I cannot let him hold me back, you know?"

Tony nodded. He knew. More than she could understand.

He was standing at the top of the basement stairs, trying to think through what it was that he was going to say. Before he could gather his thoughts however, Gibbs's voice echoed through the room.

"You gonna stand there all day, DiNozzo?"

Tony sighed, descending the stairs.

"Uh… no, Boss," he answered. He leaned on the frame of Gibbs's newest boat. "I came to talk to you about something…"

"How long?" he asked, not even looking at the younger man.

The fake smile faded from Tony's face at the question.

"How… long…?"

"Yeah, DiNozzo. How. Long?"

Tony's eyes dropped to the ground as he responded.

"A few months."

"Were you going to tell me?"

"No. Not until now," he confessed. "Figured that you'd be pissed at us."

"Hmm, and why'd you think that?" Gibbs asked sarcastically.

"Look, Boss, if you're just gonna sit there and give me crap about—"

"What are your intentions with her?" he questioned.

"Is this an interrogation?"

"Yes," he replied flat out. "What are your intentions with her?"

"It's more serious than you think."

"Really? Is it? Because this is you we're talking about, and with you, 'serious' usually implies a long weekend."

"Not true."

"I don't want this team suffering because you're just screwing her."

"Don't you dare say that," Tony hissed, his voice dripping with anger. Gibbs saw his fists clench and his arms fold across his chest. "You take it back."

"Am I wrong?"

"Yes! I'm in love with her, Gibbs. Don't take that lightly, because you've known me for thirteen years and you should know how difficult that is for me. And that is why I'm here. I came here because you're the closest thing that she has to a father. I came here because I wanted to do it right, I wanted to ask you for her hand. It was something that I wanted to do. I never had to come and have this conversation. I don't need your blessing. And since you're clearly not giving it to me, she and I don't need you there at our wedding."

Tony started walking back toward the staircase, but turned back before he reached the bottom stair. "You know… just because the whole dating a coworker thing didn't work out for you, doesn't mean that it can't for anyone else. Jenny broke your heart, I get it. That sucks. But Ziva and I are different. And just because you're lonely and pathetic doesn't mean that you can make everyone else live the same way." He made it halfway up the stairs, and turned back once more. "And you know what? I stood in this very basement and you told me straight out not to be like you! Make up your mind, Gibbs! Be the father that we see you as, instead of an overprotective jackass!"

And then he was gone.

"I hate that Gibbs can't accept it…" he muttered. "And I would have loved to have the others here…"

"Me too…" she murmured.

They sat in silence, finishing their breakfast.

"Well," Ziva began, "why don't we go back to our room and get dressed?"

Tony nodded, picking up their plates and garbage. As they made their way to the elevator, he took her hand in his. She smiled up at him and leaned into his touch.

* * *

Tony and Ziva made their way out to the beach near the hotel. Ziva was clad in a bright white sundress, a daisy tucked behind her ear. Her hair was down and wavy, the way that Tony loved it. He was wearing a long-sleeve white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of black slacks. They held hands as they walked into the garden. They expected to see the man who would be marrying them waiting there, but they were instead met by a surprise.

"Hi," Abby said with a somewhat hesitant wave. By her side was McGee, smiling at the pair.

"Hiiii," Tony replied, shocked. He looked between Ziva's surprised expression and their two coworkers standing a few feet away. "What are you two doing here?"

"You thought we'd miss your wedding?" McGee asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well, uh, we planned to elope…" Ziva responded, holding tighter to Tony's hand. "But we could not be happier that you two are here."

"Um, it isn't just us," Abby muttered, glancing off toward the side of the hotel. Tony and Ziva turned to see Jimmy, Breena, and Ducky walking toward them.

"You guys, too?"

The three nodded, joining Abby and McGee on the sand.

Tony looked at Ziva.

"It looks like we're gonna have our family here after all, then?"

Ziva looked between their unexpected guests.

"Gibbs is still at home?"

"I'm sorry," Abby muttered, and Ziva's heart sunk. Tony squeezed her hand gently.

"It's okay, Zi," he murmured. "This will still be the best day of our lives, right?"

She nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I love you," she murmured against his chest.

"I love you, too, baby," he whispered into her hair. "Now, why don't you go down to the other side of the garden house. Come down the aisle when you're ready, kay?"

Ziva nodded, pulling away from her partner, and looking up at the medical examiner.

"Ducky... would you...mind walking me down the aisle?"

"I would be honored," he answered, and the two proceeded to walk to the back of the garden house.

"Congrats, man," McGee began, patting Tony on the shoulder. "She's a keeper."

"I know," he whispered, smiling at his other partner. "And I know it's kinda late, but, uh... would you be my best man?"

The younger agent appeared surprised, but nodded.

"Abby," Tony continued, "Ziva would probably want you as her maid of honor."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah," he replied. "You're the best girl friend she has, right?"

Abby smiled, and took her place. Breena and Palmer did the same as he asked them to be their impromptu bridesmaid and groomsman.

* * *

"I'm nervous, Ducky," Ziva admitted.

"And why might that be, my dear?" he inquired. "Anthony clearly loves you, and you are obviously very much in love with him."

She let out a sigh.

"I don't know. Maybe I am just afraid that... the magic will go away once we're married. I mean, the nature of our relationship has changed drastically throughout the years. Years ago, we could not even have a serious conversation. And now...? All of that tension... it's practically invisible now, and I'm afraid that it will vanish completely."

"Trust me, Ziva. The magic that you feel will not fade. You and Anthony love each other dearly, and your emotions will not disappear simply because you have said your vows."

The smile she'd been suppressing since her worry had set in broke out across her face, and she cast her eyes downward in a shy yet happy manner.

"You look beautiful, my dear," he assured her. "Simply and utterly beautiful."

A tear trailed a slow path down the tan skin of her cheek.

"I only wish that Gibbs were here," she confessed.

Ducky's lack of a response was enough to confuse her and cause her to glance upwards - where she saw, to her surprise, someone she never expected.

"You look gorgeous, Ziver."

She hesitated, somewhat cautious, not sure how he would act.

"Don't worry. I'm not here to stop you. In fact... I couldn't be happier for the two of you."

"Then why did you get angry at Tony?"

"Because you're like a daughter to me," he confessed. "And I was overprotective and wrong and I'm sorry."

"Rule number six," she quoted by heart.

"Enough of my rules have been broken by this point that it doesn't matter. This is family. And what you and DiNozzo have... it's special. It's the kind of love I haven't seen since Shannon. I shouldn't have been so harsh on you. It's time for me to let you two kids figure it out on your own."

She was in Gibbs's arms in seconds flat.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I am... so glad you are here."

"So am I," he admitted quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"I think I'll leave this job to the man to whom it belongs," Ducky announced. The pair looked up at him. "Good luck."

"Thank you, Ducky. For everything."

He nodded.

"Any time, Ziva."

With that, he was gone.

"You ready?" Gibbs asked, holding her at arm's length. With a deep breath and a quick swipe of her tears, she nodded.

* * *

"Ducky, what are you-"

"Just wait."

Tony wasn't sure where his ability to breathe disappeared to from the moment he saw two people round the garden house. His future wife was glowing with happiness, her eyes shining with joy and tears, and to add to it, she was on the arm of the one man he had secretly hoped would arrive.

As she and Gibbs reached the end of their makeshift aisle in the garden, Gibbs tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. This was succeeded by a short nod in Tony's direction, and Ziva smiled, her eyes leaving Gibbs's and falling on Tony. Their boss let go of her arm as she stepped toward her fiancé, who pulled her into his arms and kissed her like he never had in his life.

"I love you," he murmured the moment they broke apart. A quiet sob racked his body, and Ziva let out a complimentary laugh that broke off into a small sniffle.

"I love you, too, Sweetheart."

They joined hands, not breaking eye contact as the usual "we are gathered here today..." spiel began, but there was something that made this droning speech more than expected. Despite the fact that it wasn't the princess-type of wedding most brides envisioned, she couldn't imagine it any other way. As she looked into his eyes, it solidified in her mind - she was ready to become Mrs. DiNozzo.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Good luck coping with the hiatus! I know I won't be able to!**

**-Bridget**


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